Crescent Moon
by Surfnscooby11
Summary: Dani is a perfectly normal witch... except for the fact that she is the daughter of Harry Potter and she now has to guide a halfwerewolf around school. Read and review!
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Crescent Moon: Chapter One

It was a very inky, storm rattled night. A perfect night to go wandering around in, under the concealment of a certain cloak. That was just what a certain young Potter was doing. Only this Potter did not go by "The Boy who lived" rather, "The Daughter Of the boy who lived". Yes, Miss. Danielle Lily Potter was sneakily creeping the grounds of Hogwarts. Her green brown eyes searched the Marauder's Map for any sign of Misses Norris the second, or her very senile keeper Filch. She glanced up every now and again to bat away the shaggy bangs of her brown hair. As she approached the long narrow staircase that led to the massive front doors, she suddenly found herself bored with the whole idea, only because adventure was not involved...just a mere lack of tiredness. She checked her map again; pushing up her glasses hastily, and was about to turn around seeing as how Filch was in his own office. When her eyes caught to the drawing of outside the castle gates. Three figures and one question mark in the middle of them were all hurrying to the front of the school doors leading into the hall and up the stairs where she stood, paralyzed with curiosity. She recognized them all at once. One was Hagrid, the other Headmistress McGonagall, the third said "Part O' Toole" but the mysterious enigma still was jostled around between them. She stared at it squinting to understand, when the doors burst in, full of rain, howling wind and the sounds of hurried feet.

"Hurry Hagrid!" cried the elderly voice of her headmistress.

Hagrid, (As it shown on the map) was now carrying what the question mark had been. She couldn't see quite clearly, it was wrapped in a dull gray cloth, but suddenly a long arm bumped out from under it and dangled from Hatred's massive arms.

"Tryin' Profess'r!" He was panting hard. Poor Hagrid was getting on in his years and Dani remembered from a book she once read, that giants (Even half giants) had body problems once age started to hit them. Mostly breathing and blood flow. She grimaced watching him shuffle into the Great Hall. But finally! The exciting thing she had hoped for was happening! She checked the map once more, making sure Filch did not suddenly leap up at the slam of the doors. Nope. Out like a light and apparently Misses Norris the second was on his lap. She grinned broadly and trickled silently down the stairs and into the Great Hall.

In the giant dining hall, Hagrid was leaning over, placing the body carefully upon one of the tables, the long arm still dangling.

"Careful Rubeus!" Cried the little man beside them. The map had identified him as Part O' Toole, and Dani recognized him from The Prophet as one of the more famous Aurors. His bright orange splotch of hair on his head and bushy mustache reminded Dani of one of the old time police officers and if you didn't behave he'd cart you off in a "paddy wagon". He bustled around the clothed lump and started to uncover it.

"I cannot believe it! Just cannot! How could we forget about the crescent moon tonight?"  
"I dunno Profess'r... but good thin' you did tha' spell! Came in handy to control 'im!"

'Him?' Thought Dani quizzically.

"Yes, well don't ever say anything about that spell Hagrid...I only use it in emergencies..."

The little Auror looked at them both quizzically. "Who is this boy exactly?"

The two turned from their discussion then gave nervous glances to one another.

"You shou' explain' Headmiss'... I'll get im' some water…" Hagrid horridly shuffled towards the kitchen area. Headmistress McGonagall watched him walk off then turned back to O' Toole.

"This-"

'Oh boy!'

"-Is the son of Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks..."

Dani's mouth gaped open. 'Uncle... Remus…? He had a son? Why didn't dad tell-'

"We were escorting him to the school... Because his father thought he needed more interaction with other wizards and witches, being home schooled and such... but we had forgotten it was the crescent moon… The time he changes..."

'Change?' Dani thought for a few moments. The words "crescent moon" and "changes" were replaying in her mind. She suddenly glanced up as they sound of Hagrid's enormous feet came stomping back in.

"Darn house elves!" grumbled Hagrid. "Nosey little' buggers!" He set the glass of water down which shook the whole table and jostled the sheet off of the mysterious lump.

"Hagrid!" Cried McGonagall. Unveiled from the sheet, was the face and partial chest of a young gaunt looking man. His hair was a creamy coffee color, black tips colored the split ends...but as he breathed it seemed to be changing color to a plum purple, royal blue, then back to the milky coffee.

Dani shook her head, smirking. "Defiantly Tonks' son..." She muttered out loud.

McGonagall, Hagrid and O' Toole's heads whipped around towards the sound and Dani squeaked clasping her hand over her mouth. McGonagall sighed, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyes.

"I'm getting far too old for this...Miss Potter! Please come out!"

Dani stood frozen to the spot.

"Miss Potter please… If you run now, I'll just get you tomorrow..." 

Dani sighed. 'She has a point...' She threw off the coat and stood there in her lion print pajamas, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks.

"You know it is against the rules to wander around the castle after hours...explain yourself."

"I... I...hungry?" She meekly answered. McGonagall eyed her suspiciously.

Dani gulped a little. Hagrid suddenly moved over to her.

"Well, I'll get'er some food Headmiss'! Come on, Dani…" He motioned the girl to follow, who quickly sped after him to the kitchen. When they passed the swishing doors Hagrid spun around and turned on her.

"What'er you doin' wandering around up so late? Yer gonna' get in trouble!" He said sternly shaking his sausage-sized finger at her.

"I wasn't tired! I just thought a walk might do me some good!" She answered honestly, getting a cup and filling it was delicious pumpkin juice.

"I think yer tryin' ta look fer trouble though…heh…yer dad always did that…"He chuckled leaning against a table, making the legs bend a bit.

"Say Hagrid…who's that boy out there? Y'know…Lupin's kid?" She asked nonchalantly, wanting to get some answers. He raised his bushy head quickly.

"Oy! Not this time! Nope! Yer dad always tried ta do that to me! And he usually got away with it!"

"With what?" She asked innocently, taking a sip of the orange liquid.

"Yer dad would want me to tell 'im about somethin' secret and I'd usually blab somethin' and tell 'im tha' the boy out there is a werewolf! And then he'd get tha' excited face like yer… gettin'…" his face grew blank watching Dani's face rise excitedly, "…oh slugs…" he covered his face with his hand.

"A werewolf Hagrid? Really?"

"Only half of one Miss. Potter…"

Dani turned around seeing the sober face of McGonagall. "Did you find something that

appealed to your curious appetite?" She asked raising a brow again.

"Uh...yeah…" Dani answered shakily holding up her juice. "I'll just be heading off then-"

"One moment Miss. Potter…" She said holding up her thin finger, stopping Dani in her tracks.

"Yes Headmistress?" She asked, now becoming a little nervous. She hated losing points for her team.

"I am going to ask that you keep the situation with Mr. Lupin a secret…and that you help him around Hogwarts…"

"Wha-!" sputtered Dani a little flabbergasted. "Help him…out? I mean...not that I don't want to help out that guy cause I do! But why me?"

"Why NOT you? You know more about the werewolf race than any other student I've seen! And it's not uncommon to see you drawing them extensively-"

"Well! Thanks Head miss-"

"-DURING my class…" she snapped at the end. "…But I will let it pass seeing as how you will help Mr. Lupin out…Thank you for your cooperation Miss. Potter, now get to bed."

"Y-Yes ma'am…" She turned around and gave Hagrid an enormous hug. "Thank you Hagrid...I owe you…"

"Oh yeh! Sure, sure no problem…" He let her go and McGonagall led her over to where the young Lupin lay, peacefully sleeping.

"Headmistress?" Dani asked quietly. "What's his name?"

"Conall… Conall Lupin…" She answered. "Take your coat…goodnight Miss. Potter..."

"Night." Dani slipped the cloak back on and silently made her way back up the stairs. Her mind buzzed with the thought of escorting a half werewolf around the school! It could be a pain…OR it could be one of the most exciting things to happen to her!

"Fuzzlebees…" She said taking off her cloak to the Fat Lady.

"Whatever…" The painting yawned irritably, swinging the door open.

She stepped inside and shuffled quickly to the girl's dorms, and leapt to her bed. Pulling up the covers, she could only begin to imagine what this boy might have in store for her… or what she might have in store for him…


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Crescent Moon: Chapter Two

Dani slipped on the black cloak around her arms and shoulders quickly. She was fairly excited this morning, finally getting the chance to see the young Conall Lupin actually awake rather than conked out by a spell! She grabbed up her knapsack and books rushing to the Great Hall once again, but this time legally, for breakfast.

She plunked herself next to her best friend, Liza Pasha buried deep in the Daily Prophet.

"Anyone we know?" she asked sarcastically. An old term used by her uncle Ron and herself in jokes whenever anyone was reading the paper.

"What?" She asked, not even bothering to look up.

"Never mind…" Dani waved her hand. She glanced up and around looking for Mr. Lupin again…but to no avail the boy wasn't anywhere in sight. She sighed lowering herself again. Liza looked sideways from the articles.

"Problem?" She asked raising a brow.

"Huh? Oh yeah…" She leaned over to her friends ear. "Liza….I'm gonna tell you something…but you cannot tell a soul…got it?"

"Dani, how long have we known each other? Whenever you "Gotta tell me something" I always keep it confidential!" She made a zipping motion over her mouth, "trust me."

"Of course…alright...last night I was wandering around…" And Dani proceeded with the discovery of the long unknown son of Remus Lupin and his were abilities. After the story Liza shrugged and turned back to her paper. Dani stared at her puzzled.

"Huh…thought you'd be a little more.. y'know…enthusiastic…about it.." she said frowning a little.  
"Well, I've come to expect this sort of thing from the Potter Daughter…" She smiled from her paper continuing to scan the print with her spectacled green eyes.

Dani laughed heartily almost missing a coffee colored blur brush by. Her head whipped up and there he was. The long gaunt figure that could only be Remus's son. His face resembled that same tired look his father had, and creamy feathery hair when it was normal. A goatee, not uncommon amongst teen boys. Though, she was sure that the slightly pointed ears were his father's too, but you never know.

'Pfft right! Tonks is a regular elf..' she thought shaking her head. She noticed though, that he also had a very sweet look in his liquid gold eyes, besides exhaustion, and a gentle softness about him. But that was probably her trusting side talking, not rational thought. Her hand shot up in the air.

"RE- oops- CONALL! OVER HERE!" She called to him. He turned his head towards her with a worried look as she waved frantically at him. Liza actually looked up from the Prophet.

"Not bad…you hooked a nice one Dani." she muttered turning a page.

"Wha-? No! We're friends Liza!" Dani snapped back. Conall sat down hesitantly.

"Are…are you the girl?" He croaked, almost like a whisper.

"If you mean Dani, yes I am!" She grinned at him kindly holding out her hand, "How do you do?"

He took her hand and shook it keeping an anxious eyes on her. He had that other look too, like he was waiting or he KNEW something bad was going to happen, like any major loud noise would send him skyrocketing out of his chair.

"Y-You're also…the Potter girl.." he croaked again, "I…I've heard loads about you.."

Dani nodded. "Yeah I'm sure…but my father has never said a word about you...or Uncle Lupin ever having a child before…"

Conall looked slightly startled, but half seemed to expect it. "Yeah well, we had to go into hiding too after that… "You-know-who" incident…" He gave fleeting look over his shoulder, nervous again, then turned back to Dani's face.

"Yeah lack of communication or something…" Dani muttered still pondering if it was REALLY that, " and you're coming to Hogwarts after being home schooled…so I've heard…."

Conall nodded. "Yeah my mum did most of it…"

"How is your mum? I haven't heard much from your family at all…."

"S-she's good…" he answered quietly. There was a few moments of awkward silence. Dani sometimes regretted talking to new people cause she really hadn't a clue what to say next! Suddenly Liza looked over The Prophet.

"Oh! I didn't even see you come over!" She raised herself from the table, and rushed around to the other side to give him a great big hug. Conall's eyes widened and his face dropped receiving such a warm welcome. He stared puzzled and flustered at Dani, who smiled.

"Liza always has to make physical contact."

"S-so I've f-felt!" He stuttered. Liza removed herself from the hug and went to sit back down again. Just as she plopped herself down , a hand came crashing down between them.

Dani grabbed the pumpkin juice about to splatter the table and other assorted drinks. Her head shot up to see the smug, prideful face of...Rebecca Malfoy. Her long, silky gold hair swished around poor Conall, one of her luring attempts that usually caught boys...but all Conall did was sneeze.

"Bless you ," She purred sweetly, "Hey, why don't you come and have a seat by us? I'm sure you'd rather, than," She examined Liza and Dani with her catty eyes, "Stay over here…"

Conall hunched his shoulders and looked like a bad pup who'd gotten caught gnawing on his master's slipper, blushing profusely. Dani growled to herself. She remembered her father telling her about Malfoy and his first meeting, strangely the scene was almost a replica of what was going on.

"I..I…"

"As interesting as that sounds….Malfoy…I think he allergic to prats….I MEAN cats…" Liza smiled sweetly, yet with an evil glare. Dani leaned on her hand towards the flabbergasted girl.

"Say, Malfoy, how's your father? Azkaban treating him well?" she asked.

"Wha- Well- I- Humph!" She stomped her pretty little foot and stormed off.

Conall watched her walk off and gulped. The looked back at the two laughing Gryffindor's.

"Her f-father's in prison?" He asked taking small bits of toast.

"Y-yeah!" Sputtered Dani wiping her eyes and starting to calm down, "Her dad's been in prison since she was eight. For being apart of that Death Eater cult some odd years back…"

He nodded and quietly resumed chewing.

"Don't think she didn't deserve that Conall," Liza said cutting in, "she's always insulted our team, us, are parents, sent letters, dung bombs, you name it…she's done it to us.."

Conall shrugged looking up at them, those gold eyes, they were transfixed into Dani's own and she saw pity there. Pity for Rebecca of all people. Guilt slowly rose in her chest and she was now thinking of her own dad. She still had him, Rebecca just had her mom and the shame of her Death Eater father in prison. Dani looked away from his eyes focusing on the perspiration oozing down her jug of pumpkin juice.

Suddenly her ears perked at the deafening sound of scraping chairs, signaling the time to go to class was now. She took one more swig, and stood up.

"I'm not sure if McGonagall told you….but I'll be escorting you to your classes and helping you." she said smiling at Conall.

"Oh yeah…she did.." He took out a parchment of paper and handed it to her. Her eyes scrolled down the many classes most of them reading "NEWTS".

"Wow!" gasped Liza, "All NEWTS?" she looked over Dani's tall shoulder to get a peek.

"Uh y-yeah well, my father always wants me to try my b-best…"Conall answered rubbing the back of his head.

"More than I can do!" laughed Dani, "lets get to class." She looked at the paper again noticing she had the same classes as him (Except his were NEWTS of course). 'Clever McGonagall…clever." her inner thought muttered and she led him to the first class of the day… Arithmacy. Arithmacy was the same basic thing as algebra….only ten time more murderous and riddle filled. Dani sat frustrated and confused trying to figure out a problem. She couldn't just say "Well! Who cares how many apple Johnny has!" or "This won't matter when we're older!" Because most of the time the "apples" were wounds and "Johnny" would be some wizard in horrible pain due to the bite of some creature or curse and that this could be a real life situation. Dani sighed angrily.

"I thought I'd escaped this wretched math when I became a witch! My old nemesis seems to follow me everywhere!" she whispered to herself harshly.

"W-would you like some help, D-Dani?" came a gentle voice. Dani turned to see Conall standing behind her, holding his quill and a slip of parchment.

"Well, yeah…but I'll figure it out even.. tu…" Conall leaned over her to get a better look at her paper,  
"-ally.." As his body pressed against hers, she felt the same heat rise in her cheeks and ears.

"Nice doodles.." He added, his eyes darting around the page. She grinned sheepishly at the numerous little wolves chasing each other over the numbers.

"They always come out when I'm frustrated…" she said, "I just have the worse time with these problems…I honestly stink at math.."

He remained quiet for a few more moments then scribbled some numbers on the page. "Well, you had it right so far until you came here…by which you divide the number of stinkhorn slugs by the number of bites to the wizard…then add the amount of potion and… voila!" Dani's eyes widened, now understanding the concept of the equation.

"Oh! I see now! Brilliant!" She clapped quietly at him, Conall blushed.

"Y-yeah well, I'm just good at this s-sort of t-thing…" he set down her quill and walked over to the teacher handing in the scroll. Dani got out a new parchment and revised the equation (What teacher would want to be bitten by an ink wolf? Honestly.) then turned it in and began to pack up. The class was soon dismissed and Dani rushed up to Conall.

"Hey! Conall!" He stopped and waited for her to catch up, " I just wanted to thank you back there…usually I have to take the papers with me to finish! That's one of the first times I've ever finished in that class!"  
He smiled warmly at her. "I'm g-glad I could be of a-assistance…"

"Thank-" Suddenly she was elbowed hard in the back and toppled onto Conall. "Ugh!"

"Aww! Isn't that sweet? Potty and Loo snogging in the hall…"

There was that high pitched evil laugh. The owner, was none other than Rebecca.

"Hello Becky.." muttered Dani coldly, muffled by Conall's jacket. She straightened herself up and stared at Rebecca's smug grin. She was about to retort, maybe a harsh joke about her dad again would do the trick! Or perhaps another mention of her horrid performance at the match against Gryffindor last week. As she opened her mouth to speak, Dani remembered suddenly…Conall's eyes. That look about them at breakfast that pierced her pride, stunning her to silence. What right did Dani have to make harsh jokes to Rebecca? Her family wasn't necessarily perfect ...nor was her Chaser record for that matter and although Rebecca probably deserved it…she honestly didn't in a way. Dani stepped closer to Rebecca, who's eyes widened.

"Rebecca, I-I want to apologize about earlier," she sighed. "…I had no right to say that about your dad…and I'm sorry.." Dani hung her head a little, feeling rather silly to apologize to her enemy and felt that a "forgiven" wasn't coming any time soon…but at least she herself felt better inside.

"What is this Potter? Some sort of a trap if I stand here long enough?"

"No…just an apology.." Dani raised her head, forcing a smirk. She thought she saw Conall smile a little, but it vanished from her mind as Becky started to walk off.

"Whatever…" She heard her mutter. Dani sighed standing next to Conall.

"Well, I tried…" She said. Suddenly a gentle hand clasped her shoulder. Dani jumped and looked up .

"That was a very kind thing of you to do Dani….I'm sure it impacted her in some small way…" Conall said quietly, a smirk un-erased from his long face. That same heat scoured up inside of Dani again and she was sure her ears were beet red. She also noticed, that he didn't stutter either.

"Uh, thanks!… I guess… Lets move on shall we?" She swiftly began to walk to potions class, her heart beating rapidly and mind scrambled with thoughts about this young Lupin…

Sighing, Liza Pasha fitted herself between Conall and Dani, collapsing on the table.

"Brutal work today…" she muttered miserably, grabbing a peach, "I don't think I'll be able to write another spell with this hand as long as I live…"

"Good luck passing then, Liza…" Muttered Dani, smiling, through a turkey leg.

"I was only-"

"-joking, I know.." She handed her friend a napkin. Liza grumbled wiping her mouth, but looked at Conall buried in a book.

"Having a good day so far, Mr. Lupin?" She asked scanning the book as well.

He bobbed his head slowly and continued to read, turning the page and leaning on his hand.

"You're no fun either…" she sighed. Suddenly the tall humbling figure of Headmistress McGonagall shadowed the three, Dani looked up from her food, so did Liza and even Conall stopped reading.

"Good afternoon, I suspect that Mr. Lupin has been finding his classes alright, Miss. Potter?"

"I-"

"Y-yes Ma'am…"spoke Conall in a slight growl before Dani got a word out, "S-she's been helping me j-just fine.."

The hairs on Dani's neck bristled. Wasn't Conall being a little menacing towards McGonagall?

His eyes were a deeper gold than before and glowering at the Headmistress, who merely looked at him with dismissal.

"Very good…Mr. Lupin, it's also time for your...medicine.." she added calmly. Conall was still staring her down, boring holes into her for sure. The tension was so thick it could've been sliced with a razor. Dani turned to Conall.

"Medicine? Are you sick, Conall?" She asked cocking her head, slightly concerned.

Conall shook his head. "N-no…just don't w-worry about it, Dani, I'll be right b-back…" He broke eye contact from the Headmistress and got up from his seat.

"Good day, Miss. Potter." McGonagall said leading Conall away.

"Yeah, you too.." She said distracted at Conall, who was now boring a hole in the back of McGonagall's head. He had his lower jaw tucked out, in a snarl, as if ready to snap her head off.

"Bye, Conall.." muttered Dani quietly. He gave her a distracted wave, still staring at McGonagall while walking off. An awkward silence followed that awful conversation. Dani was thinking to herself, wondering Why on earth anyone would have anything against McGonagall. Sure, she was strict, but it wasn't an excuse to totally loathe her!

"That was ODD…" Liza said, breaking Dani's train of thought. Dani looked over at her and blinked a few times.

"Yeah that was…why would Conall act like that?" she asked, "He doesn't seem like the type to growl at a headmistress like that!"

"Well, Dani you don't know him well enough to say that…what if he's Bipolar maybe?" She suggested.

Dani's face dropped and she raised her eyebrow to question that little spurt of logic…or sarcasm.

"Bipolar…?"

"Yeah! Y'know! Mood swings at random!"

Dani shook her head and took a sip of pumpkin juice. "I just don't think so...I think something more is going on-"

"Dani…" said Liza in a strained voice.

"I'm serious! I can feel it! Conall wouldn't act that way!" Dani protested, "no I think something is very, very wrong here…"

"I'm not gonna' argue with you Dani…cause when you get these feelings…" started Liza.

"-They tend to be right, right?"

"No… wrong. So I'm not gonna' get involved."

"Gee, thanks best friend." Dani grumbled coldly. Liza started to laugh.

"I'm only joking! Just…be careful okay?"

"I will..." The young Potter stared down at her hands, wondering what one Earth could be going on behind these castle walls and the minds of those inside them.


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

(Hey guys! Thanks so much for your kind reviews! Really appreciate them!

BTW, Dani's mother happens to be Hermione Granger. I just really, really think Harry and Hermione make a good pair, don't you?

Well, I hope you enjoy chapter three! Thanks for reading!

Much love,

God Bless,

Later!

-The Author. )

Dani sat, uninterested, in Divination. Her hand was etching silently over a parchment. She exhaled deeply and looked up. Trelawney was still waving her hands around talking of doom and such, tottering a bit too. She probably had a nip of sherry just before class started. Dani shook her head and resumed her drawing. It was coming along rather nicely too. The muscular fit body of a man, holding a coat over his shoulder. She glanced up again more swiftly as Trelawney raised her voice, but continued to draw trying to look as if she were paying attention. Another thing she knew she had inherited from her mother, was her annoyance of spectacles such as this. She rolled her eyes huffing and looked down. To her surprise, the finished product of the drawing turned out to have the head of Conall. She blushed and quickly crumpled it into her bag, but not before it blew her a kiss.

"Gahh…" Dani moaned a little, feeling stupid. Suddenly the door burst open and Conall himself strode in, tossing note to Trelawney and taking a seat next to Dani.

"Conall! Are you alright?" She whispered after Trelawney read the note and resumed her ravings.  
"J-just fine…" he grumbled.

"Where'd you go?" she asked, "I was getting a little worried."

"Just taking care of some t-things…don't w-worry about it..." He said, starting to take notes. Dani shied away, looking at him puzzled, but decided to drop the whole thing.

As soon class was signaled as over, Conall practically lunged at the door leaving her behind.  
"Conall! CONALL! Wait up!" She cried trying to catch up. He was fast despite how he looked and brushed past the students with ease, while Dani kept bumping into everyone.

She stopped in the middle of the mob of students and looked around for some sort of recognizable secret entrance. She knew most of them because she studied the Marauders Map a lot and spied a familiar old clock that led straight to the Gryffindor entrance. Perfect! Looking around cautiously, she slipped inside and followed the torch lights of the dark, dank tunnel, until she came to another large square exit; she slipped out of a picture bumping straight into the man she needed to see. He jolted back a little, startled and stared down at Dani who was gasping for air.

"C-Conall! W-what's wrong with you?" She demanded holding her hands on her knees, "did I say something? 'Because I don't think I did!"

He looked away, his usually spiked hair now falling limp in his face. "N-nothing, it's nothing…."  
"Well it's gotta be something or else you wouldn't have ran like that! What's wrong?" She stared up at him, her dark green eyes scanning his turned face for an answer. She suddenly noticed, at his silence, that his hands were clenched very, very tightly and his teeth were bared in a sickening grimace. Dani's face loosened, her angry expression turned to one of worry and….fright.

She took a small step forward, her hand extended.

"Conall…? Seriously," she tried to swallow the lump of fear rising in her throat, but it would not go down, "Are you…o-okay?" She placed her hand hesitantly on his back. Suddenly the whole world was in slow motion as Conall grabbed her wrist wrenching her up to his distorted face. The steaming scent of rage pulsed against her face and his teeth were bared like fangs. His eye's were a dark, bloody gold, his hair began to turn a fiery scarlet and he had her wrist gripped so tightly, she thought it was broken.

"LEAVE…ME….ALONE…" He snarled in a coarse whisper, "OR….I'LL KILL YOU…" He shoved Dani away from him, jerking her wrist out of his grasp and shuffled quickly down the hallway and around a corner. Time sped back up and Dani stumbled back against the portrait she'd come out of startling a Rockwell boy and his dog to scamper off. She slid down the canvas and held her trembling wrist. Her knees felt like gelatin and she was paralyzed to the spot. Dani couldn't even cry. The shock of his anger, his rage, just put her in a state of a distilling euphoria. She blinked a few times to try and regain herself, wondering what on Earth she did wrong, but she couldn't stop seeing that bloody hatred in his eyes. Something had to be wrong with him. Quickly shaking her head, she rose to her feet and, half stumbling, half running, ran to the Headmistresses quarters. She threw herself against the large statue of the stone griffin, muttering the password and collapsing inside. McGonagall, who was rarely startled by anything, jolted from the sudden loud crash of the desperate Gryffindor.

"P-Potter!" she cried seeing Dani rise from the floor, panting, "what's wrong with you!" She almost asked it as if Dani were some mental case always crashing into rooms. McGonagall also glared down at her with frightened eyes, which Dani thought was a little strange, but the young Potter had no time to question her odd behavior.

"Conall!" she gasped, "Something's wrong…he's really, really mad…"

McGonagall, after regaining herself, scoffed, "Miss Potter, I am not here to deal with the likes of raging teenage hormones or personal issues of the sort…"

Dani shook her head, her shaggy mane of hair swishing in her face. "N-no! Not like that! He- He- I…I think he's...changing or something!" 

The Headmistress's eyes widened and she placed a hand to her heart. "Changing? Are you sure?"

Dani nodded. "Yes ma'am…I can assure you that was NOT the Conall I know. He threw me against a wall for goodness sake!"

McGonagall nervously bit her lower lip. Dani stared at her dumbfounded that she could be worried about a half were, when she herself was one of the most powerful wizards she knew (besides Dumbledore of course). It should be easy for her!

"Well?" asked Dani raising her hands in question.

"'Well, what?' Miss Potter?" she snapped coldly.

"Go get him! He should be a piece of cake for you!" She stammered. 'What in blue blazes is wrong with this woman?' She pondered rapidly.

"Don't be rude, Miss. Potter! Twenty points from Gryffindor!"

Now that did it. 

Dani's mouth dropped open in a shock. 'She just…took points…from her own team!' Yeah something was wrong here alright, Dani almost wished that Conall would've slung her over his shoulder unmercifully and carried her off. But there was no time to fiddle with silly points!

"W-whatever! Ma'am we have got to do something! There's a half were wolf out of control on your grounds! Aren't you going to do anything?"

McGonagall bit her nail. That expression of worry was coming back.

'Once again!' thought Dani, 'Something she wouldn't seemingly do, but maybe there was another story in here somewhere. Something that'd explain this behavior…' "Headmistress…are you afraid?" She asked, it being the only possible explanation to this madness.

McGonagall's head spun up. "No! Of course not! J-just trying to think of a way handle the situation."

"Uh, I'm no genius here…" Dani rambled sarcastically, "but maybe you should oh...I don't know…CATCH HIM?" Now she was staring at the Headmistress's face, and when, for the fourth time, it stopped sputtering like a fish out of water, Dani closed her eyes and irritably said;

"Listen if you aren't going to help me ma'am…I'll just go do it myself." She quickly turned out of the room and left before McGonagall could do or say anything. She felt a sudden spice rise inside of her, a sense of daring boldness like never before. She never EVER wanted to tell off an adult like that, but at this moment it seemed appropriate with McGonagall acting like that.

"What was up with that?" said Dani aloud, shaking her head, "She acted so strangely…maybe it's stress. Probably from yesterday when Peeve's blew up the row of toilets…" It was still odd though that the headmistress wouldn't jump to action with something a tad more serious, "Oh well, but all I know was that HAD to be one of the weirdest things I've ever-" She was about to finish her sentence, when a blur of toffee fur and mane ripped past her causing her to get shoved backward into an old suit of armor. With clamoring of metal in her ears, she looked to her left winching to see the doors of Hogwarts wide open and sending a chilly blast inside.

"Was that…Conall?" She asked herself rising from the floor. Suddenly, a bumbling wizard, whom she recognized as Professor Spart, the transfiguration teacher, came running up beside her gasping for breath. He gripped her shoulder almost taking her down again.

"We-we-" he wheezed like a man who was about to have an asthma attack, "Were- were-"

"Werewolf?" finished Dani looking down at the back of his balding head. He nodded his face as puffed and red as a Cherry Bluster candy.

"I know. That's Conall Lupin…he's a half werewolf…" She said looking towards the open doors again.

The Professor looked up, wide eyed and in shock. "A s-student was a w-werewolf?" He spat.

Dani nodded quickly. "Ye-… Professor!"

Suddenly, Spart collapsed to the ground having fainted from either dehydration, or shock. She knelt beside his large limp body and set him down gently, suddenly Liza came running in with a tall Ravenclaw boy following her and other students.

"Dani! We heard about Conall!" she gasped, "He's running loose?"

The Ravenclaw boy peered down at Spart from behind his glasses. "Is he alright?"

Dani looked at them both, as more students crowded around.

"Yes he is," she said addressing Liza, "…and I don't know…." she said turning to the other boy, then pointed to him. "You, tall ki- oh, hey Marley. Sorry your hair was in your face, didn't recognize you, anyway you and Liza take care of Spart, and one of you guys in the back go find a teacher or someone near by. Don't go to McGonagall, she seems to be having a nervous breakdown or something…" Dani removed her hand from under Spart's massive head and, taking out her wand moved towards the open doors.

"Dani!" cried Liza kneeling next to the fallen professor, "Where are you going?"

Dani turned to the crowd, her solemn green eyes staring at them. There was a sudden tranquil stillness in the air, despite that her body was trembling with a mixed emotion of courage and fear. She felt the rise in her heart again, beating with a just righteousness to help her friend. Then she simply said;

"To go get Conall."


End file.
